Alex's Weblog

THE FIRST LESSON Colossians 3:1-11

THE SECOND LESSON Luke 12:13-21

SERMON "Affluenza: The Problem of Abundance"

Worship Notes

Welcome to worship at Westminster on this the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost. During these summer weeks, and throughout the Pentecost season, we sustain a purposeful focus on God's gift of the Holy Spirit and on its presence at work within and through us.

In worship today, we reflect on the abundance of God's grace, which affords us with everything we need. Our response to that abundance, and how we choose to use the spiritual and tangible gifts entrusted to us by God, involves an act of faith. Yet it is God's great faithfulness that always acts first through grace and it is that same grace that unites us together around the Lord's Table in the sacrament of communion.

In our central text this morning Jesus points to the difficulty of seeing the world in terms of scarcity, rather than abundance. As our first hymn states, "Father, whose bounty all creation shows..."; and our second hymn goes, "God whose giving knows no ending, from your rich and endless store."

You are invited to reflect on the abundance of God's love and grace today!

This is the lesson and sermon from Sunday, July 25, 2010. Delivered by Alex Thornburg

MP3 Download (7.19 MB)

RealAudio Download (4.33 MB)

THE FIRST LESSON Colossians 2:6-15

THE SECOND LESSON Luke 11:1-13

SERMON "Who Closes the Door?"

Worship Notes

Welcome to worship at Westminster on this the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost. During these summer weeks, and throughout the Pentecost season, we sustain a purposeful focus on God's gift of the Holy Spirit and on its presence at work within and through us.

In worship today, we focus purposefully on the act of prayer. In the gospel lesson, Jesus teaches us how to pray and frames that if we seek, we will find, if we knock, the door will be opened to us. The music through which we worship today is chosen to evoke a particular spirit of prayer that leads to and culminates in the Prayers of the People, which follows the sermon and the Affirmation of Faith.

We welcome the musical leadership in worship today from our Handbell Week participants, who will offer a setting of the familiar hymn, "Sweet Hour of Prayer," as our offertory. The text of this hymn creates a meaningful framework for our prayerful experience in worship. Two stanzas of this hymn, which were written by William Walford and published in 1861, are as follows:

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

That calls me from a world of care,

And bids me at my Father's throne

Make all my wants and wishes known.

In seasons of distress and grief,

My soul has often found relief,

And oft escaped the tempter's snare,

By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

Thy wings shall my petition bear

To Him whose truth and faithfulness

Engage the waiting soul to bless.

And since He bids me seek His face,

Believe His Word and trust His grace,

I'll cast on Him my every care,

And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

The First Lesson Colossians 1:15-28

The Second Lesson Luke 10:38-42

Sermon "Sitting At Jesus' Feet" Pastor Kathleen Owens

Worship Notes

Welcome to worship at Westminster on this the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost. During these summer weeks, and throughout the Pentecost season, we sustain a purposeful focus on God's gift of the Holy Spirit and on its presence at work within and through us.

In today's gospel lesson, we hear the story of Mary and Martha and consider the central importance of corporate worship in our daily lives. We reflect on the act of worship that occurs within these walls each Sunday and empowers us to go forth and do God's will outside these walls during the week.

The music through which we worship God today is chosen to reflect our focus on the act of worship. The gathering hymn, "O For A Thousand Tongues" is a hymn of praise that well describes the wide scope of our worship of God. The anthem, "Come and Find the Quiet Center," describes the centering effect of worship in our lives. As we respond to God's Word, and to the commissioning of participants in the Triennium Conference, we sing the hymn, "Lord, Speak to Me that I May Speak," which describes how God acts through us in worship to empower us for service. The offertory anthem is an African-American Spiritual, "Set Down Servant," which describes the joy experienced by those who worship and serve God unceasingly. As our worship ends, and as we prepare to go forth in to the world, we sing "I'm Gonna Live So God Can Use Me," which reflects our commitment to live, work, pray, and sing in service of God.

This is the lesson and sermon from Sunday, July 11, 2010. Delivered by Kathleen Cook Owens.

MP3 Download (6.62 MB)

RealAudio Download (3.99 MB)

THE FIRST LESSON Colossians 1:1-14

THE SECOND LESSON Luke 10:25-37

SERMON "Who is your neighbor?" Pastor Kathleen Owens

Worship Notes

Welcome to worship at Westminster on this the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost. During these summer weeks, and throughout the Pentecost season, we sustain a purposeful focus on God's gift of the Holy Spirit and on its presence at work within and through us.

In worship today, we hear the story of the Good Samaritan and reflect on the lessons it teaches about our unity, our mission, our servant hood, and our trust of God to empower us to act in care for others even in those times when we may feel particularly challenged so to do. The music through which we worship today reflects these lessons of trust, servant hood, and mission. Our opening hymn, "God is Here!" speaks to the presence of God in all we do. The response hymn, "Who is My Mother? Who is My Brother" serves to remind us that we are all one when we are gathered "around Jesus Christ." Finally, our sending hymn, "The Church of Christ in Every Age" articulates God's call that we must strive to care for those across the world and across the street.

This is the lesson and sermon from Sunday, July 4, 2010. Delivered by Sam Buffat.

MP3 Download (8.16 MB)

RealAudio Download (4.92 MB)

FIRST SCRIPTURE LESSON Romans 13:1-7

SECOND SCRIPTURE LESSON Revelation 12:1-2, 16-18

A WITNESS TO THE WORD "The Presbyterian Rebellion"
Rev. Sam Buffat, Preacher ( Ret.)

THE FIRST LESSON Luke 9:51-62

THE SECOND LESSON Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20

SERMON "Discerning Joy"

Worship Notes

Welcome to worship at Westminster on this the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost. During these summer weeks, and throughout the Pentecost season, we sustain a purposeful focus on God's gift of the Holy Spirit and on its presence at work within and through us. The red cloth, which first adorned the sanctuary on Pentecost Sunday, remains in place as a visible symbol of the Holy Spirit.

During worship in June, the scriptural basis for our proclamation of God's Word has been the Psalms. In worship, we strive always to balance praise, proclamation, and prayer. The Psalms are among the oldest prayers in the Judeo-Christian tradition. The Psalms are also among the first hymns of the early church. Therefore, in worship today we incorporate Psalm texts throughout our liturgy and song.

The Psalm of the Day is Psalm 77, which is perhaps best characterized as a Psalm of Praise. In worship today, we examine the purpose of praise and its role in our worship life inside the walls of Westminster as well as out in the wider world. Our opening hymn, "O Worship the King" suggests precisely the spirit of praise on which we focus our worship today. As we respond to God's word proclaimed, we sing Hymn 455 as we add our voice to that of all creation in continual praise of God. Our service ends with a hymn that reminds us of the eternal power of God that creates and sustains us all.

THE FIRST LESSON Luke 8:26-39

THE SECOND LESSON Psalm 42 Hymn 190

SERMON "Deep Calls To Deep"

Worship Notes

Welcome to worship at Westminster on this the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost. During these summer weeks, and throughout the Pentecost season, we sustain a purposeful focus on God's gift of the Holy Spirit and on its presence at work within and through us. The red cloth, which first adorned the sanctuary on Pentecost Sunday, remains in place as a visible symbol of the Holy Spirit.

During worship in June, the scriptural basis for our proclamation of God's Word will be the Psalms. In worship, we strive always to balance praise, proclamation, and prayer. The Psalms are among the oldest prayers in the Judeo-Christian tradition. The Psalms are also among the first hymns of the early church. Therefore, in worship today we incorporate Psalm texts throughout our liturgy and song.

The Psalm of the Day is Psalm 42, which is perhaps best characterized as a Psalm of sorrow that is tempered by the hope that grows from faith in God. In worship today, we wrestle with what sorrow means for us as individuals and as a community of faith. Our opening hymn, "When Morning Guilds the Skies" suggests that even when sadness fills our minds, our response includes praise of God. As we respond to God's word proclaimed, we pray using the text of Psalm 42 and experience a purposeful movement from sorrow to hope as we sing the beautiful and prayerful hymn, "Lord of All Hopefulness." The offertory duet is a setting of the text of Psalm 42 and the sending hymn, "How Firm a Foundation," articulates our belief that God's word provides us with the foundation for the hope and assurance we seek no matter our circumstance, mood, or emotional state, or experience.

This is the lesson and sermon from Sunday, June 13, 2010. Delivered by Alex Thornburg.

MP3 Download (6.92 MB)

RealAudio Download (4.18 MB)

THE FIRST LESSON Luke 7:36-43

THE SECOND LESSON Psalm 5:1-8

SERMON "Praying and Complaining"

Worship Notes

Welcome to worship at Westminster on this the Third Sunday after Pentecost. During these summer weeks, and throughout the Pentecost season, we sustain a purposeful focus on God's gift of the Holy Spirit and on its presence at work within and through us. The red cloth, which first adorned the sanctuary on Pentecost Sunday, remains in place as a visible symbol of the Holy Spirit.

During worship in June, the scriptural basis for our proclamation of God's Word will be the Psalms. In worship, we strive always to balance praise, proclamation, and prayer. The Psalms are among the oldest prayers in the Judeo-Christian tradition. The Psalms are also among the first hymns of the early church. Therefore, in worship today we incorporate Psalm texts throughout our liturgy and song.

The Psalm of the Day is Psalm 5, which is filled with fiery imagery and particularly strident language. Yet, despite its cries of complaint, the psalmist concludes the text with a more hopeful sense of the healing and wholeness available to us through our relationship with God. Our opening hymn, "As Morning Dawns" is a musical setting of Psalm 5. As we respond to God's word proclaimed, elements of Psalm 5 will be used as a "Song of Affirmation" and our response to prayer. The Prayer of Confession is based on Psalm 51 through which we pray that God might create a clean heart within us. The sending hymn, "Hear the Good News of Salvation," expresses our joy that we are healed and cleansed by the salvation afforded to us by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

This is the lesson and sermon from Sunday, May 30, 2010. Delivered by Alex Thornburg.

MP3 Download (6.55 MB)

RealAudio Download (3.95 MB)